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A Dying Glow, by Finneus (January 1, 2012) January 1, 2012 shall be remembered as the end of a warm glow. For on that day the 100 watt incandescent light bulbs ceased to be made. Once the store shelves are emptied, that will be it. According to new Federal regulations, the old light bulb (the most widely used bulb in America) uses too much electricity and must be discontinued. I can only guess that Mr. Edison and the Founders are all rolling in their graves right now. In these columns I have railed about the overbearing regulation of Government, how much it controls our daily lives, and that We The People must put an end to it. This will be yet another installment as we look at regulation in our home. We are all aware of the Federal regulations on automotive manufacturers requiring their fleets to be increasingly more fuel efficient, whether the consumer buys the products or not (no wonder the automobile companies have been failing). The government thought regulation had been so successful for the automotive industry, the same should be done with other industries as well. It started a number of years ago with the toilet. Too much good water was being flushed down the drain so “low flush” toilets and urinals were made a requirement in new construction. “Low flush” toilets use about half the water per flush as the old toilets. It did not matter whether you were on your own well and septic, you had to install low flush toilets in a new house. This typically meant that you had to flush twice using the same amount of water as the old toilets! The engineering has improved greatly since then and for the most part work okay now. Let’s now add to the list low flow showerheads and washing machine agitators. Once again, low flow showerheads use less water and have been a fixture in western states for years where water is not only in short supply, but expensive. Until recently, they were not required, but a consumer choice. Washing machine agitators, the part in the center of the washer that aids in cleaning, have been deemed by the Federal Government as being energy hogs and must be done away with. Most of this regulation is under the guise of environmental stewardship. Now let’s get one thing straight, I’m not against protecting our environment. I spend more time in the “environment” in one year than most “environmentalists” will spend in their whole lives. But low flush toilets, fluorescent lights, and dirty clothes imposed by Federal regulation are not the answer to improving our environment. Here are a couple of examples. The low flush toilets and showerheads have caused sewer problems in many cities due to not enough water being used to keep effluent moving in the pipes, so massive amounts of chemicals and water have to be pumped in by Public Works to keep the sewer systems flowing…. The new alternative fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury and should be a wonderful addition to our landfills and aquifers….. Early reports from those I’ve talked to who have the new style washers, say they do a poor job of getting clothes clean. One person in particular said they usually have to run their loads at least twice, using more electricity (and water) than their old machine with an agitator…. Thank you Federal Government! Water and electricity are consumer products. I purchase water from the water company and electricity from the electric company. If supply is low and demand great, the price goes up and we have the choice of using less or paying more. It’s quite simple. This area of the country doesn’t often have water shortages, our annual rainfall being enough to cover usage. Why then are we forced by Washington to conserve water? Electricity is another story. The current administration’s refusal to approve any new power plant applications has created an unnecessary supply shortage and tied the hands of most power providers, forcing them to raise prices and use roving blackouts to deal with shortages…. Thank you Federal Government! In reading the Constitution, it is practically impossible to understand how the Federal Government derives the power (outside of war time) to force us to conserve consumer products. This type of overbearing Federal power is exactly what the Founder’s feared and tried to guard against, but the Constitution is merely a piece of paper if those being governed do not tend their governmental flock and cull from the herd those who wish to govern outside its bounds. Once again, it is We The People who are at fault. We allow OUR government to do these things. We will continue to see more of these regulations in our homes until we get smart and vote out those who believe more Federal regulation is the answer. |